


Oh Christmas Tree

by tamnation



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Castiel's First Christmas, Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 09:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5623195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamnation/pseuds/tamnation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel has never had what most people would consider a 'real' christmas. There was no money to splurge on festivities at the orphanage and no space at his college dorm. This year he had a new house and a new job and he can finally have the Christmas he'd always dreamed of. </p>
<p>The last thing he needs is a Christmas Tree, and Winchester's tree lot is the best place in town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GrayCoffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrayCoffee/gifts).



> Author’s note: Forgive the inaccuracies regarding Christmas tree geography and other tree things. Seriously, before I started writing this I didn’t realise there were so many different trees used as Christmas trees. The only live trees we ever bought were the pine trees that the Scouts used to sell out the front of Bunnings.
> 
>  
> 
> Written as my secret santa gift for the ever amazing Dana.

As a child, Castiel used to dread December. All the other children would get excited and he’d spend the entire month being asked by strange adults if he’d been a good boy and what he wanted from Santa. Most years at the group home, they were lucky if Santa brought them all a good meal. The best Christmases from his childhood were the ones when he went to bed with a full belly and the echoes of Christmas carols still lingering in his ears. They were good memories, and the nuns who ran the group home did their best, but Castiel still dreamed that one day he’d have that extravagant Christmas that the other kids had.

 

This year was different. Graduation had led to a job offer at a small news station and a move out to Kansas. The small two bedroom house he was renting wasn’t overly extravagant by any stretch of the imagination, but it had a decent sized kitchen and a large enough living area to allow for ample decoration. He’d spent the last month experimenting with various Christmas recipes and stocking up on tastefully matching Christmas decorations. A wreath was already hung on his door and he’d gone to the effort of setting up the lights in his front yard and on his roof. While the effect was quite nice and the young children who paused to look seemed to like it, Castiel wasn’t quite sure that it was worth the effort of hauling the lights that made up Santa’s sleigh and two reindeer onto the roof.

 

It was all up and ready for the festivities, and now he needed the one thing he was really missing, the one thing that would make it a real Christmas: a Christmas tree. While there were a lot of different traditions surrounding Christmas, the one thing that was part of almost all Western traditions was the Christmas tree. Castiel had thought about buying one of the fake, plastic ones, as they seemed a little more economical and could be reused for future Christmases, but there was just something that drew him to a live one. If it was a disaster, he could always get a fake one next year.

 

The nursery was on a big sprawling property on the outskirts of town. He’d driven past it on the way into town, but he hadn’t stopped there before. He wasn’t really much of a gardener and he tended to forget to water the plants as often as they required. But now, they had a big banner out the front proudly proclaiming that ‘Live Christmas trees available’ under the Winchester Nursery sign.

 

Cas pulled into the lot and saw a bunch of other families bringing out healthy looking green trees most with happy smiles and the younger children tugging their parents towards the car, clearly excited. He just hoped that he’d leave with a similar sense of warmth and holiday cheer.

 

Of course, five minutes later he’d already wandered down several rows of pine trees and it was growing clear to him that he didn’t really know what he was looking for. Some of the trees were too short, others were too tall and would be too close to his ceiling. Some had very sparse branches, while others were very dense which would make it harder to decorate. Others would be adequate for his needs, he supposed, but they just seemed to be missing something.

 

“You looking for something special?” A voice came from behind him and he turned quickly to see a gorgeous man in a brown leather jacket watching him intently. After a moment the man smiled and moved closer. “I’m sure I could help you find what you’re looking for.”

 

“I’m looking for a Christmas tree.” Castiel said and immediately felt a small flush of embarrassment creep along the back of his neck. Of course he was looking for a tree, he was literally surrounded by them. Why did he always seem to say stupid things when he was around good-looking men? But instead of walking away or muttering insults, the man’s green eyes lit up with genuine amusement.

 

“Well you’re definitely in the right place. We have pretty much every sort of tree you could want,” the man laughed. “The name’s Dean Winchester, and I know each and every one of these trees, so I’m sure I can help find the right one for you.”

 

Castiel wasn’t sure it was possible to know all the trees in a nursery as big as this one, but it would probably be impolite to say, so he kept it to himself. Instead, he shook the man’s offered hand. “I’m Castiel Novak.”

 

“The new journalist? No shit. Well, not sure this place has ever had such a big celebrity come out before.”

 

“Do you watch the news?” Castiel asked, because Dean didn’t strike him as the shows typical demographic. But appearances could be deceiving; after all when most people first saw him they usually thought he was some kind of tax accountant.

 

“Nah, not really my thing. I tend to read the newspaper over coffee in the morning. But my brother watches your show online to keep up with the local news while he’s at college. He mentioned you a couple of times, said you were pretty good.”

 

Cas blushed at the praise, feeling the heat spread across his cheeks and down the back of his neck. It was an irrational reaction – he worked hard and knew that he was good at his job – and yet he couldn’t help but be pleased at the words from such an attractive stranger.

 

“So what type of tree are you looking for?” Dean inquired, either not noticing or ignoring Cas’ reaction. Castiel tilted his head to the side and blinked at him, the change of topic throwing him almost as much as the question itself.

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“Well, we’ve got a pretty wide range of trees here. We’ve got fir trees and pine trees and even some spruce and cypress trees. Did you have a certain type in mind?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Castiel said. “I’ve never had a Christmas tree before. This is my first Christmas in a home of my own and I want to do it right.”

 

Dean looked at him curiously, but he didn’t ask any of the questions that usually come up when Cas hinted at his childhood. That always led to awkward explanations and the pitying looks that Castiel’s learnt to hate. After a moment, Dean just nodded his head.

 

“Alright then. So we’re after something traditional. Nothing too sparse because then you just won’t get the full effect. I think I’ve got a few that might work.” Dean offered, before leading Castiel down the narrow walkways with purpose.

 

“See this one right here? It’s an Eastern Redcedar. Nice and bushy around the base before tapering off to a point.” Dean said as he stopped in front of one particular tree. Castiel tilted his head to get a better look at the tree, taking in it’s dark green colour and the tiny little cones that were scattered along its branches. He tried to imagine it covered with decorations in the corner of his living room, but he couldn’t quite picture it.

 

Dean noticed his hesitation. “I’m just trying to get a feel for what you’re looking for. This tree here is a bit of a beauty but it’s not for everyone. Some people like the dense branches when they are just starting on their own because the tree looks good by itself and doesn’t need lots of decoration.”

 

“How do you know so much about Christmas trees?”

 

“Well, timber’s kind of my thing. I used to carve a lot as a kid, and my dad didn’t care ‘cause it kept me entertained and out of trouble for hours on end. When I was a teenager, I did some time working with a friend of my dad’s learning to be a mechanic, but other than working on my own car, it just didn’t have the same appeal as working with wood. So when I inherited this place off an uncle I barely knew, clichéd as hell but it happened, I figured it was a sign. Mom’s favourite holiday was Christmas and I figured in the offseason, I could use some of the timber for carpentry and things. It’s working out alright so far.”

 

That was more information than he’d been expecting and from the way that Dean’s cheeks suddenly looked a little flushed, Castiel thought maybe he hadn’t been expecting to say that much either. Cas couldn’t help but think that it made him look that much more attractive, and he smiled.

 

“I’m glad that you’re here.” Cas’ comment only seemed to darken the flush on Dean’s cheeks. He’d only meant that he was glad that there was someone who knew so much that could help him make a decision. He knew it was kind of stupid but he really wanted to find the perfect tree.

 

“Well, let’s go see if we can find the perfect tree for your first Christmas.” Dean deflected, striding off again and leaving Castiel to follow after him.

 

Castiel spent the next half an hour looking at more Christmas tree varieties than he could have imagined. There were conifers, firs and pine trees, in all different shapes, heights, and shades of green. None of them struck him as the perfect tree though. He was starting to worry that maybe he was wasting Dean’s time.

 

Dean seemed to have the patience of a saint and he kept telling Castiel all about each individual tree. Cas found himself telling Dean more about his childhood and his plans for Christmas and in return, Dean told Cas more about Sam and his Uncle Bobby. Apparently Christmas had been Dean’s mom’s favourite holiday before she died and he did his best to make Christmas special for his brother every year.

 

Dean had just finished telling Castiel about how this year he was going to surprise Sam with the biggest Christmas ever and he was going to get the whole town involved to welcome his little brother back for the holidays. It made Cas wish that he’d had an older brother to look after him, make sure that his holidays were special. He was going to say something when he saw it.

 

The tree was dark green and almost perfectly symmetrical from its broad base to its narrow point. The branches were clearly distinct, but dense enough that Castiel couldn’t see the bark around the tree trunk in the centre. It was exactly like the Christmas trees that he’d seen at shopping centres and in the Christmas movies that he’d been watching for research.

 

“That one’s a grand fir. I don’t have too many because they are a bitch to grow here, but there’s always one or two people who ask for them.” Dean didn’t have to ask which one Castiel was looking at, even though it was surrounded on both sides by other trees. This was definitely the right tree. Cas could already see it clearly in the corner of his lounge room lit and decorated and giving off that warm Christmas spirit.

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

“Awesome. I knew the right tree would be here somewhere. So just head down this path and see Charlie at the desk and she’ll sort out payment and I’ll start getting this bad boy ready to go.”

 

Castiel nodded and moved along the path Dean had pointed out. At the end of it there was a neat wooden shed with a large opening in one side so that people could pay. Inside was a bubbly looking redhead who was intently staring at her phone as her fingers flew across the keypad. Cas’ feet crunched on the gravel path, attracting her attention and she turned to him with a huge smile.

 

“Hi, how’s it going today? Did you find the right tree?”

 

“I did. Mr. Winchester was very helpful,” Castiel replied and the girl gave him a knowing look.

 

“I’m sure Dean was happy to help you find what you were looking for. I’m Charlie by the way,” she offered cheerfully and he felt himself giving her a small smile.

 

“I’m Castiel. Dean said to see you about paying for my tree?”

 

“Yes, absolutely. Let me guess, you got a grand fir?” Charlie fist pumped the air when he nodded. At his curious head tilt she explained. “I like to guess the tree when Dean sends people my way. You look like the kind to want a big formal, traditional tree.”

 

“It’s my first Christmas tree. I want to make sure I’m doing it right,” Castiel said seriously.

 

“I’m sure it’ll be great. A Winchester tree always seems to bring a bit of Christmas magic to the season.” Charlie rung up the total on the small cash register and Cas handed over the correct amount of cash, although it was significantly less than he’d thought it’d be, especially for such a nice tree.

 

“Well I guess you’d better get back to Dean. Merry Christmas!” Charlie gave him his receipt and a cheery wave before gesturing to the path that he’d come down.

 

“Happy Holidays,” he offered in return.

When he made it back to his tree, Dean had already managed to manoeuvre it onto a cart like contraption. The other man grinned as Castiel approached and Castiel was struck anew by just how handsome the man was. He almost wished he hadn’t found a tree just so that he could keep wandering around the lot and talking to Dean.

 

“Ready to go?” Dean asked, tugging at the cart when Castiel nodded. The little tree rolled along behind them as they walked down the winding path to the car park. Cas felt a little proud of his tree, because in his opinion, it was clearly the best one there. Now all he had to do was get it home.

 

“You’re kidding, right?” Dean asked when Castiel pointed out his car in the lot. Castiel frowned, slightly offended on the behalf of his Ford Fiesta. It was a perfectly practical car; it got him to and from work and was big enough to fit his groceries. But then he looked at the little car, back at the tree that Dean had on a small trolley and admitted that maybe Dean had a point.

 

“Maybe if we….” Castiel made a vague hand gesture towards the car, because he has absolutely no idea how that sentence was going to end.

 

“We’ll make it work. We might just need to get a little ‘hands-on’.” Dean said, and there was a gleam in his eyes that

 

Between the two of them, they managed to wrangle the tree into the back of his car, and even managed to get the hatch shut, even if the top was poking out the passenger window. Castiel tried not to linger on the way Dean’s muscles had bulged as he struggled with the tree, or how it had felt to have him press up against him as he showed Cas how to properly grip the tree to avoid damaging the branches.

 

When Dean stepped back after they got the tree in, Cas felt a twinge of disappointment and loss at the lack of contact. Internally he berated himself for the feeling; Dean was just being helpful and providing good customer service. Dean did seem to hesitate as well, before he pulled out a business card from one of his back pockets and quickly scrawled a number across the back of it.

 

“That’s my number. Call me if you have any issues with your tree.” Castiel took the offered card and Dean grinned at him. “I’ll see you round, Cas. Merry Christmas.”

 

Dean walked away and Cas watched him go until he greeted another family by the entrance with a smile. Castiel got into his car and letting his head rest for just a moment against the back of the chair. He’d gotten his perfect tree and he’d held an entire conversation with a man as attractive as Dean without getting tongue-tied. Maybe Christmas really was the time for miracles.

 

Now he’d just have to work out how he was going to get it out of his car and into his living room.

 

~~

 

“Winchester.”

 

“My tree is defective.”

 

“Who… Cas??” Dean sounded surprised that he’d called, or maybe Castiel should have said hello first. He sighed; somehow he never remembered the social niceties until after he’d stuck his foot in his mouth.

 

“Hello Dean.” Better late than never, he supposed. He glared at the lopsided tree that was leaning slightly against the wall, stubbornly naked of ornaments. No matter how hard Cas tried, it refused to stand straight, and he’d get one ornament on, only to have it fall of while he tried to put on the next. The lights were in a tangled heap across the room and the attempt at putting on the tinsel had been a disaster. It had taken him twenty minutes to extricate himself from the tree.

 

“Okay,” Dean said after a moment. “Just how exactly is the tree ‘defective’? It was fine when we got it in your car.”

 

“It defies ornamentation.”

 

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, before a sudden burst of warm, genuine laughter rang through the line. Castiel instantly bristled, but as the other man kept laughing it was hard not to at least smile in response. The situation was a little ridiculous.

 

“Okay, Cas. I think I should come over and see what the situation is. If the tree is ‘defective’, I’ll make sure you get the best tree we have as a replacement.” Castiel told himself that the happiness seeping through him was due to the promise of a replacement and had nothing to do with the idea of seeing Dean again.

 

“That would be acceptable.” Castiel replied and told Dean his address. Dean hung up with the promise that he’d be there soon. Of course, that was when Cas’ anxiety skyrocketed. He was fairly sure his house was some sort of disaster zone. Looking around the room, there were decorations scattered everywhere as a testament to his struggle with the tree. But underneath that there was his usual everyday mess. He didn’t have a lot of guests and he tended to rush out the door for work most mornings and get home late. There were take out boxes and coffee mugs scattered around. His trenchcoat was shoved roughly over the end of his couch and the contents of his briefcase were scattered all over the small coffee table where he’d been doing some work the night before.

 

In a rush, he moved to at least straighten up his notes and promptly tripped flat on his face. He let out a groan, as he looked down to find his feet well and truly tangled in the cursed silver tinsel that he had been trying to get around the damned tree. Cas kicked out his legs in frustration, trying to get his legs out, but it only made it worse. He glared at the mess, and cursed his own determination to have a traditional Christmas. Maybe Gabriel had been right and the whole thing was totally over rated and Castiel should have just settled for some eggnog and a box of candy canes. He was hit by the sudden desire to just lie back on the floor and forget the whole thing. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that Dean was going to be there soon. But it still took him five minutes before he could bring himself to move.

 

Sitting up slowly, he reached down and tried to find one of the tinsel’s ends. Carefully, he worked to unwind the mess, diligently unweaving the strands with an intense look of concentration on his face. The knock on the door was an irritating distraction as he tried to focus on the tangle.

 

“The doors unlocked!” he shouted absently.

 

There were the sounds of uncertain footsteps through the corridors and then; “Wow, okay.”

 

Castiel flushed bright red as he realised that it was Dean standing in his doorway. If he’d just thought about it, he’d have known that but he’d been too caught up and now this handsome man was standing in his messy living room and looking at undeniable evidence that Cas was a walking Christmas disaster.

 

“Well, I think I can see your problem. The ornaments are meant to go on the tree.” Dean was grinning widely and Cas was torn between getting offended or just giving up and laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. The way that the smile lit up Dean’s face, somehow making him even more handsome than before, made it difficult to be angry though and Castiel found himself smiling as well.

 

“Here, let me help,” Dean offered, kneeling down until he was sitting on the ground next to the tangled mess of legs and tinsel. Castiel lifted his hands away in agreement because there was still almost as much of a knot trapping his legs as there had been when he started trying to unwind it.

 

Dean let out a small hmm as he examined it before he set to work. His fingers worked quickly, starting slightly to the left of Cas’ legs but he moved closer as it started to unravel. When Dean’s fingers brushed against the skin of his ankle, he felt a flush of desire run through him. He couldn’t ignore just how close Dean was, or the way that when he leant down to get a closer look, the warmth of his breath brushed against the skin of Cas’ ankle.

 

He took a couple of slow deep breaths, trying to calm the way his heart was racing in his chest and his cheeks felt they were burning a brilliant red. If he just thought about something else, maybe he wouldn’t notice the small touches anymore and he wouldn’t humiliate himself in front of someone who was just trying to help…

 

“Cas?”

 

Castiel blinked and was surprised to find Dean’s green eyes only a couple of inches from his own and a rather concerned look on the other man’s face. “Are you okay, man? You didn’t hit your head or anything when you got caught up in all of this?”

 

Dean held up a neat bundle of silver tinsel that was no longer wrapped around his legs. Somehow he’d managed to space out so entirely that he hadn’t even noticed the moment his feet had been freed. This may be the single most embarrassing moment of his entire existence.                                                                                                                          

“I am uninjured,” he said stiffly, as if the formality would hide some of his humiliation.

 

“Awesome,” Dean said before grabbing Castiel’s hand and pulling him up to his feet. It took Cas a moment or two to find his balance and he had to reach out a hand to hold Dean’s shoulder while he steadied himself. He wasn’t certain, but when Dean finally let go of his hand, Cas swore the other man’s cheeks looked a little more pink than usual.

 

“Okay, well the first thing that we need to do is get your ornaments and things in order,” Dean said as he turned away from Castiel to look around the room. The angel that he had chosen to top his tree was haphazardly lying on the couch, and half the floor was covered in a glittery array of baubles and hanging ornaments. He was surprised he’d managed not to land on any when he fell.

 

Between the two of them it didn’t take long to get everything into some sort of system. As a bonus, Dean had managed to straighten out the lights as well as the second garland of tinsel. It all looked nice and neat, as if they were about to begin and Castiel’s disastrous attempt at decorating had never occurred.

 

“What do we do next?” Castiel asked, eyeing the tree warily because he wasn’t 100% sure that it wouldn’t launch some new attack if he tried to hang an ornament on it.

 

“Well, first, you’ve got to secure your tree in the planter, rather than just shoving it in and hoping it will stay still and straight.” Dean explained. “Let me just go get a couple of bricks from my car and we’ll get it sorted.”

 

Decorating a tree turned out to be a lot more involved and time consuming than Cas had thought it would be. Dean was exceptionally patient as he showed Cas how to trim the branches so that it was easier to get the ornaments to hang. Between the two of them it took no time at all to wrap the lights and tinsel around the tree and Cas got Dean a beer for all his hard work while he hung most of the ornaments in a semi symmetrical pattern.

 

Finally, he took a step backwards and his shoulders brushed against Dean’s as they stood next to each other to admire the tree. The lights flickered and glowed different colours, illuminating the ornaments and the dark green tree branches. It looked almost like the trees that he’d always dreamt of but something was missing.

 

“Just one more thing and it should look amazing,” Dean said, and he moved away from Castiel and towards the couch. Carefully, he picked up the angel from where she had fallen earlier and made sure that the wings were no longer crumpled and the hair was straight before he held it out to Cas. “Here. Mom always said that the angels watched over us and never more than at Christmas.”

 

Cas reached out and took the angel, ignoring the way that his heart pumped harder in his chest when their hands touched. The moment felt incredibly solemn, the weight of Christmas traditions suddenly thick in the air. Cas had to stretch his arms as far as he could reach; carefully making sure he didn’t knock off any of the smaller ornaments. The angel settled on the very top point of the tree, looking down at all the lesser decorations around her.

 

“Perfect,” Dean whistled appreciatively and Cas had to agree with him. The angel had been that last missing piece and the tree was everything he’d imagined. All it needed were a couple of presents underneath it and the excitement of Christmas day and Cas was sure it would be almost magical.

 

“Thank you, Dean.”

 

“Any time, Cas,” Dean said sincerely, holding Cas’ gaze with his captivating green eyes. It would take almost no effort for Castiel to lean in and close the gap between them. Which of course was the moment Dean’s phone decided to go off.

 

Dean scowled, reaching in his pocket for the device and checking the caller ID. “It’s Charlie. Probably wondering where I am and why I’ve left her with all our customers. I suppose I’d better get back, though.”

 

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to miss out on the Winchester experience,” Cas said as he started to move towards the door. Dean let out a loud burst of laughter that had Cas’ traitorous heart skipping _._

 

“No, we wouldn’t want that, would we?” The words were downright flirtatious as Dean slipped out the door and gave Castiel a parting wink before heading to his car. “Merry Christmas, Cas.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Dean.”

 

~~~

 

Now that he’d met Dean, he kept seeing him around town. He was at the diner eating pie for breakfast and chatting up the waitress. Or he was in the grocery store with the redheaded girl who worked at the tree farm arguing over breakfast cereals. Once Cas spotted him helping an old lady across the street and carrying her groceries. Every time Cas saw him, he was struck once again by how handsome he was.

 

More importantly, every time Dean noticed Castiel watching him, he’d smile and call him over. It was like he was genuinely pleased to see him.

 

Or maybe Cas was reading too much into things. After all, everyone said that Dean was one of the friendliest guys in town. Not a single person had a bad thing to say about the Winchester brothers. Most were happy to share stories though and Castiel found himself absorbing the information like a thirsty sponge, almost desperate for more.

 

When Dean’s mother had died it had been the talk of the entire town, although no one was quite sure exactly what had happened. The next thing anyone knew was that John Winchester had taken his two young sons and disappeared. He’d reappear every other year or so just so the boys could see their family. But when Dean was about nine and Sam was only about five, John had had a huge fight with the rest of the family and had torn out of town even though it was the middle of the night. The next time anyone had seen Dean, he was all grown up and trying to sort out his dead uncle’s affairs.

 

It was obvious to Castiel that Dean had settled back into the community exceptionally well, even though his refusal to talk about those missing years was definitely a point of curiosity in such a small town. Cas wished he could get to know the other man better, maybe even ask him out for a coffee or something. Sometimes he’d get the impression that Dean might be open to the suggestion, but the other man never made a move by himself and Cas didn’t want to risk what could be a good friendship by pushing for something more. He didn’t have many friends as it was. So he remained content with their short chance meetings and the fact that the other man’s handsome face seemed to have taken up residence in his thoughts. That probably would have been the end of it, if Cas hadn’t decided to go to his work Christmas party.

 

Castiel wasn’t even sure why he’d let himself be dragged out to the news station’s Christmas party. He’d never really been into the party scene and the one or two times he’d tried drinking, he’d drank far too much and he was fairly sure the hangovers had nearly killed him. But Hannah had insisted that it would be good for him to get out of the house and interact more with everyone else from work. There was logic to her reasoning, and he really didn’t want to become the town hermit.

 

So he’d allowed himself to be dragged out to the Roadhouse bar at the end of town and accepted the drink that his boss had handed him with as much cheer as he could muster. But an hour later and every one has stopped trying to make polite conversation with him and Hannah has disappeared. Castiel was standing in a small out of the way corner, watching his co-workers get steadily drunk and embarrass themselves.

 

“Hey Clarence.” Castiel withheld the urge to sigh. Meg was the stations weather girl and had an annoying habit of calling him by the wrong name while she invaded his personal space. Tonight was no exception and it only took a moment before Castiel felt her hands clutching at the front of his coat. Her breath was heavily laced with alcohol and she seemed unsteady on her feet as she leant against him.

 

“Hello Meg.”

 

“I’m very drunk,” she said in a sultry tone. “I need someone to be my tall, handsome knight in shining armour. You can take me home, keep me safe and then you can claim your reward.”

 

“I think you’ve got me confused with someone else,” Castiel said as he tried to remove his coat from her grasp. Finally, he managed and leant her against the wall beside him. She pouted at him but he ignored her. “Excuse me, but I need another drink.”

 

Cas could hear her cackle of laughter throughout the room as he all but ran away from her. It was tempting to just slip out the door now and be done with the whole thing. He did need another drink though, just to try and erase the memory of the parting squeeze of his ass that she’d managed to get in before he’d moved out of reach. Not to mention, if he tried to leave now he wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t follow him.

 

As he got closer to the bar, he was surprised to see Dean was there. The other man was nursing a beer as far away from the Christmas party as he could get while still remaining close to the supply of alcohol. The girl behind the bar was clearing away several empty glasses from near Dean and shooting worried looks at the man.

 

Now, Cas probably should have just grabbed a drink and gone back to the party. Dean clearly wanted to be left alone and Castiel was sure that he should make more of an effort to be social with his colleagues. But a glance back showed Meg was watching him carefully as if he was something she wanted to eat. Cas shuddered at the thought, and really he’d rather talk to Dean.

 

“Hello Dean,” he said as he slid onto the stool next to the other man. Dean jumped in surprise and Cas had to wonder just how much alcohol the man had already drunk. From what he’d seen and heard around town, Dean Winchester was always aware of his surroundings and near impossible to sneak up on.

 

“Cas? Man, you scared the hell out of me.” Dean downed his drink and gestured for the bartender to bring another round. As the drink was placed in front of him, he swayed on his stool and wound up leaning against Cas’ shoulder. The warmth seeped through his trench coat and it definitely wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

 

“You want something? He’s pretty drunk already, so you’d better hit the hard stuff if you want to catch up.” The blonde bartender was glaring at Cas and her tone seemed unreasonably aggressive for someone he’d never met before.

 

“Leave him alone, Jo, and just bring us more beers,” Dean said. For a second it looked like the girl wasn’t going to move away and her and Dean seemed to be having some sort of fierce nonverbal argument through glares and rude gestures. Finally, the girl sighed and placed another couple of beers in front of Castiel, giving him one last glare before she moved away.

 

“Sorry bout Jo. She’s like the overprotective little sister I never wanted,” Dean apologised, leaning a little bit closer into Castiel’s side. “She doesn’t think I should be drinking alone. But you’re here now, so I’m all good.”

 

“Where’s Charlie?” Usually the bubbly red head wasn’t too far from Dean’s side and Castiel was pretty sure if she was here, she would have stopped Dean drinking before this point.

 

“She bailed out of town this morning to spend the holidays with her girlfriend,” Dean scowled and practically spat the word girlfriend as if it was the most horrendous curse word he could think of. Castiel frowned in confusion, because Dean had told him that he’d introduced Charlie to Dorothy just over six months ago.

 

“Most people try and spend Christmas with their loved ones,” Castiel suggested slowly, not sure what else to say.

 

“That’s what I thought too. Only I got a phone call today.” The happy glow from the alcohol that had surrounded him was suddenly gone and Dean looked utterly dejected as he picked up his beer and downed half of it in one go. “Sammy’s not coming home for Christmas.”

 

“I thought your brother always came home for the holidays?”

 

“Normally he does. But this year, I was making out like it was no big deal and he could just come down here and chill for the holidays. I was gonna have this huge surprise waiting when he got here and it would have been awesome,” Dean said bitterly. The conversation clearly needed more alcohol, because Dean took another long swig of his beer before he continued talking. “But apparently his girlfriend’s family is having some big fancy ass Christmas in New York and Sam wants to make a good first impression.”

 

“Are you going to go there for Christmas instead?” Castiel asked. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t really want Dean to leave town, even just for the holidays. Even the possibility of running into the other man was enough to bring a smile to his face whenever he left home.

 

“Nah, don’t want to get in the way of a ‘meet the parents’ holiday. Told him I’d head down to South Dakota to see Bobby,” Dean said with a shrug. Cas tilted his head curiously at the unfamiliar name and it only took Dean a moment to offer an explanation. “He’s a good friend of Dad’s, pretty much family. He took me and Sammy in for a few years and taught me what I know about cars. But he’s spending Christmas with another friend, Rufus, drinking their livers to an early grave and that’s not really how I want to spend the holidays.”

 

“So what do you think you’ll do?” Castiel asked, taking a sip of his own beer.

 

“I dunno. Just stay home, I guess. Maybe watch a couple of Christmas movies or see if I can eat a whole Christmas ham by myself,” Dean shrugged, sounding resigned and Cas felt his heart break for the other man. Given how much Dean loved Christmas, it seemed like an abomination against nature for him to spend it alone and miserable.

 

“I know it wouldn’t be the same. And you can say no if you want to. But, you’re welcome to come to my house for Christmas lunch. I don’t have any family and it’d be nice to have some company,” Castiel offered. He wasn’t expecting Dean to turn and look at him with a grin so warm and bright it felt like he’d stepped into the midday sun.

 

“That’s a great idea, Cas. I’ll bring pie. Everything’s better with pie.”

 

Dean went to take another drink and swayed violently on his bar stool. Cas reached out and caught him, but Jo appeared from nowhere on Dean’s other side. Dean’s arm wrapped around the blonde’s neck and he whispered something Cas couldn’t hear in her ear. Cas felt a small flurry of irrational jealousy, which he quickly stamped down.

 

“Whoa, Winchester. I think you’ve had enough,” Jo said in a tone that no sane man would argue with. Dean looked for a moment like he’d try anyways, but thought better of it.

 

“Cas is awesome, Jo. Did you know that?” Dean murmured. “He saved Christmas.”

 

“Did he?” Jo raised one eyebrow at Castiel, clearly doubting his ability to perform such miracles. Cas just shrugged his shoulders and Jo sighed. “Alright, Romeo. You can tell me all about it in the morning. Right now, we’d better get you to bed.”

 

“Do you need any help?” Castiel offered, because Dean was quite tall and well built in comparison to the bar tenders slight frame. Her face softened a little at the question.

 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve been hauling this idiot’s ass to bed when he gets too drunk to stand since he was legally able to drink. I’ll make sure he gets home safe and remind him of just how much he embarrassed himself in the morning.” Jo said, moving to stand and Dean staggered off his stool.

 

“Bye Cas.”

 

“Goodnight, Dean.”

 

Castiel watched as the pair staggered out of the bar and made no effort to hide the smile creeping across his face. He’d be spending his first Christmas with Dean instead of being alone, and he felt more excited than a little kid waiting for Santa.

 

~~~

 

At the orphanage, Christmas morning used to dawn quietly and peacefully. It was a time of reflection and the nuns used to say it was a chance to get closer to God. When Castiel woke this year, the instant flutter of butterflies tore through his stomach like a tornado. There was so much that he needed to do; cleaning, cooking, baking, decorating and he still needed to call Gabriel, his old college roommate. All of this before Dean got there for Christmas lunch.

 

The morning went by in a blur of activity as he tried to squeeze everything in. He almost burnt both his Christmas ham and an entire batch of sugar cookies while he was on the phone to Gabriel. He’d managed to get flour everywhere while baking, including all over the kitchen floor that he’d previously swept and he just couldn’t seem to get his decorations to look the way he wanted them too.

 

It wasn’t until five to twelve that Cas managed to take a break and relax for a little bit. The whole morning had left him flustered and frustrated and just over the whole thing. He sat down in the chair in his lounge room and stared at the tree standing unobtrusively in the corner of the room. A frown crept across his features as he stared, because somehow, the tree just didn’t seem all that impressive anymore.

 

Sure, all the lights still flickered and the tinsel still sparkled as it caught the reflected glow, but it didn’t give him that warm feeling of contentment that he’d had the first day after he’d decorated it with Dean. Even the angel on top of the tree just seemed like another silly ornament. Castiel felt utterly fed up with the whole holiday thing.

 

Underneath the tree were a handful of unopened presents. Gabriel had sent him what was no doubt a box filled with sugar cookies or some other Christmas sweets. He’d exchanged gifts with Anna and Samandriel, two of the younger kids from the orphanage that he’d kept in contact with. Adding to the meagre pile was a small blue box with Dean’s name on it that Castiel had agonised over for hours on end before making the final decision.

 

Just looking at that final present set Castiel’s nerves fluttering. He didn’t know what he’d do if Dean didn’t like it, or if he told Cas that he shouldn’t have gotten him anything at all and Castiel had completely misread the situation. It would hardly be the first time that he’d missed some social cue that seemed obvious to everyone else.

 

Before he could overthink things too far, the doorbell rang and Castiel felt a sudden flutter of nerves race through him. He really hoped that he’d done everything right and that Dean would enjoy the holiday even though his brother wasn’t here. Straightening his tie, he went to open the door.

 

Dean was standing on Castiel’s front porch wearing his usual jacket and jeans but he seemed to have thrown on a matching green and red scarf and beanie in recognition of the holiday. He was carefully cradling a pie in front of him and looked almost as nervous as Cas felt.

 

“Hey Cas.”

 

“Hello Dean.”

 

There was a long, awkward pause as they both just stared at each other. A cold wind blew up around them and it made Dean shiver slightly, reminding Castiel of his manners. Quickly, he stepped back and took the pie from Dean, trying to ignore the flicker of warmth as his fingers accidentally grazed against Dean’s.

 

“Please come inside.”

 

Dean grinned and as he moved into the hallway his whole body brushed up against Cas in the narrow doorway. Cas flushed, but he led Dean into the small living area.

 

“I’ve got ham in the oven, and there’ll be cookies and pudding and eggnog. I’m not really that good a cook and I’ve never cooked Christmas food before, but I’ve followed the recipes to the letter so hopefully they will turn out okay.” Castiel felt as if the words were escaping his mouth of their own accord.

 

“Chill, Cas. I’m sure whatever you’ve made will be awesome,” Dean reassured him, settling himself down on the couch so that he could look at the tree. Castiel used the pie as an excuse to head out to the kitchen and take a moment or two to regain his composure. On his way back, he grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge in the hopes that it might lighten the mood.

 

“You really did pick a good tree. It might even be the nicest one that I’ve sold,” Dean said as he took the offered beer. Castiel sat down next to him, their shoulders just barely touching, and cracked his own beer open.

 

“I’m glad I decided on a real tree instead of one of the plastic ones from walmart,” Castiel agreed. It definitely gave off more of a Christmas feel and that nice scent of pine that he assumed would be missing from a fake tree.

 

“I’m offended you even considered it,” Dean said jokingly and he bumped their shoulders against together. Castiel gave a small chuckle, but it quickly tapered off into silence. He was looking at the little angel on top of the tree and the way her little green eyes stared back seemed to give the room an air of solemnity.

 

“I wouldn’t have a tree if it wasn’t for you.”

 

“I’m sure you’d have found one eventually,” Dean said modestly.

 

“No, Dean.” Castiel voice was firm as he drew on all his courage. He knew there would never be a better moment than this one; the two of them sitting in front of the Christmas tree that had brought them into each others lives. He turned his body so that their knees were touching and he was looking directly into Dean’s hope filled eyes.

 

“I’ve never had a proper Christmas before, never realised just how much effort went into getting ready for the celebrations. Each time I came close to giving in or getting frustrated with the whole holiday, you were there helping me and letting me into your life. You reminded me what Christmas is really about; kindness to strangers, generosity, and most importantly…” Castiel paused and took a deep breath, because once these words were out there was no going back, “spending it with the people… person that you care about.”

“Cas, you’ve got to let me know if I’m reading things wrong.” Dean asked, the sudden tension thick between them. Castiel didn’t say anything at all, just watched as Dean leant in, slowly closing the distance between them. The last thing he saw before his eyes slid shut and their lips met was the light from the tree casting a pretty multi-coloured glow across Dean’s face, and Cas thought the man couldn’t get any more handsome.

Maybe there was a little bit of Christmas magic in a Winchester Christmas tree after all.


End file.
